Benyamin
Born 11 M' Cheshvon 2208
Years of life:
109 Medrash Tadshei; Rabbeinu Bachyei;
111 Seder Olom Zuta
115 Seder Olom; Medrash Yoshon
Son born to Yaacov and Rochel. He was the only son of Yaacov to be born in Eretz Yisrael. His mother Rochel died giving birth to him. According to the Zohar, the main reason Yaacov left the house of Lavan was for the final son to be born in Eretz Yisrael. He was raised by Bilhah.
The Name בנימין (Benyamin)
The name "Benyamin" is given various meanings by the Rabbis. Literally the name means “son the right.” Ramban interprets as “son of the right hand” indicating strength. Rashi also says it means “son of the south” since he was born in Israel which was south from the house of Lavan. Another interpretation is that the name is “son of days” which means a son born to his father in his old age. Others state that the name indicates “son of good” for right indicates goodness. Finally, Maharal says “son of the right” indicates that his father called him after the attribute of Chesed, the right side.
Benyamin’s Middos
The Rabbis lay stress on the name, "beloved of the L-rd," (Devarim 33;12) and attribute to him the nickname of Benyamin HaTzadik (Yuma 12a). He is counted among the four men who died by the poison of the serpent in Paradise; i.e., without sin of his own (the other three being Amram, the father of Moshe; Yeshai, the father of Dovid; and Keilev, the son of Dovid (Shabbos 55b). His comparison to the ravening wolf "who devours his enemy" (Bereshis 49,27). One interpretation refers the blessing to the early ripening of the fruits in the territory of Benyamin; and another refers the expression "wolf" to the altar of the Temple, which devoured the sacrifices in the morning and in the evening. The final appreciation of his middos is that the Bais haMikdash was placed in his portion.
Benyamin’s Connections with Yosef
Benyamin, Yosef's brother, took no part in the selling of Yosef (Sifre, Devarim. 352). When Benyamin was detained as the alleged thief of the cup, Yosef pretended that Benyamin had been instigated by his brothers. But Benyamin swore: "As truly as my brother Yosef is separated from me, as truly as he has been made a slave, I have not touched the cup, and my brothers did not want to make me steal." When asked for a proof that his brother's memory was so sacred that Yosef must believe this oath, Benyamin told Yosef how he had given his ten sons names which referred to the loss of his brother. The first was called Belah (), because Yosef had disappeared (בלע"swallow"); the second, Becher (בכר) because Yosef was his mother's first-born; the third, Ashbel (אשכל), because Yosef was made a captive שבה) "capture"); the fourth, Gera (גרא), because he lived in a foreign (גר) land; the fifth, Naaman (נעמן), on account of Yosef's graceful speech (נועם, "grace"); the sixth, Eḥi (אחי, "my only full brother"); the seventh, Rosh, (ראש, "the older"); the eighth, Muppim (מפים), because Yosef taught Benyamin the things he himself had learned from his father (מופים, "double mouth"); the ninth, Ḥuppim, "whose wedding (חופה) I have not seen"; and the tenth, Ard, because Yosef was like a rose (ורד).
Benyamin's oath touched Yosef so deeply that he could no longer pretend to be a stranger, and so revealed himself to his brother. The "Sefer ha-Yashar" (Miḳḳeẓ 89) narrates that Yosef caused a kind of astrolabe to be brought, and asked Benyamin whether he could not discover by means of the instrument the whereabouts of his lost brother. To Yosef's astonishment Benyamin declared that the man on the throne was his brother, and Yosef revealed himself to Benyamin, telling him what he meant to do with the brothers. His intention was to try them and thus to learn whether they would act in a brotherly manner toward Benyamin if he were in danger of losing his liberty.
Benyamin’s Connections with Rochel
The establishment of the nation of the Jews into 12 tribes required multiple mothers (a concept explained elsewhere about the need for divisions). This is sourced from Sefer Rus (4,11) “like Rochel and like Leah, both of whom built Bnai Yisrael.” As explained by Maharal, Rochel understood and accepted this concept with love (she gave the secret signs over to Leah at her wedding). Benyamin was the continuation of the acceptance of this concept of connected the tribes, for example by being the first into the Sea (Sotah 36a) or hosting the place of the Bais haMikdash, or by accepting secondary status to Yehuda when the northern Kingdom seceded.
The first King, Shaul, came from his tribe. Benyamin had been the only child not to bow down to Esav.
The Correct Spelling of the Name Benyamin
Throughout the Torah [Benyamin’s name is] written Chasir [with only one yud, between the nun and the mem] but here at his birth, it is written Malei [with a second yud between the mem and the final nun]
בנימן 98 times in Tanach (Chasir)
בנימין 12 times in Tanach (Malei)
In order to reconcile the braisa’s statement that there were 50 letters on the Shoham stones, the Gemara (Sotah 35b) explains that although throughout the Torah “Benyamin” is written without a yud between the mem and the nun, nevertheless, on the Shoham stones it had a yud. Teshuvos Terumas Hadeshen notes that there are 17 times the name Binyamin is written with the second yud in the Torah and many more instances in Nevi’im, so we must assume that when the Gemara declares that throughout the Torah it is written without a yud it means the majority and should not be understood literally.
Based on our Gemara, Terumas Hadeshen rules that when writing the name Binyamin in a get, the name should be written without the second yud. Since the Gemara declares that the Torah writes the name without the second yud, it is assumed that the correct spelling is without it and HaShem had a particular reason why He wanted the name written with the extra yud on the Shoham stones.
Aruch Hashulchan notes that the correct spelling of Binyamin is disputed. Shulchan Aruch rules that the name should be spelled without the second yud in accordance with the Terumas Hadeshen. Beis Shmuel rules that the name should be written with the second yud because even a name that should be written chaser that is written malei is acceptable since adding that letter does not change the pronunciation. Certainly, when there is a dispute whether a name should be malei or chaser, the safest position is to write it malei.
Aruch Hashulchan also writes that our custom is to write Binyamin malei but adds that b’di’eved the get will be valid with or without the second yud.
BENYOMIN
TH of Nissan
יום שני
Colors of all the other tribes; a wolf is embroidered on the flag representing the eagerness of Heaven to "snatch" the korbanos, consuming them with the Heavenly fire
The only tribe who was born in the land of Israel. The land of Israel is the place where one most experiences Divine providence and G-d's absolute omnipresence. In the words of the Zohar: "There is no place vacant of Him; through the korbanos of the Bait HaMikdash, all the Shvatim (tribes) are brought together
KISLEV
The sense of sleep is the tranquility and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providence
